April
21
/ 2026
The latest genetic research from Stajnia Cave in southern Poland has successfully reconstructed the genetic profile of the oldest known group of Neanderthals in Central-Eastern Europe. The findings, derived from ancient mitochondrial DNA extracted from fossilized teeth, offer unprecedented insights into the familial connections and population movements of Neanderthals who lived roughly 100,000 years ago. An international team of scientists recently published their remarkable findings in the journal Current Biology. By analyzing nine Neanderthal teeth found in the cave, the researchers were able to identify at least seven, and possibly eight, distinct individuals. This makes the Stajnia Cave assemblage the oldest multi-individual Neanderthal genetic dataset ever characterized in Central Europe. “This is an extraordinary result because, for the first time
